Many different types of fruit can be grown in the home garden, depending on the space and growing conditions available. From apples to juicy gooseberries, ‘luscious’ pears and sweet strawberries, perfect plums and popular raspberries, there’s sure to be a fruit you can successfully grow at home. Read up to make sure you have the right soil, sun and winter conditions for each fruit, then select cultivars for your growing area.
Because of our climate, Wisconsin always has a risk of spring frosts. Temperatures below 28°F will injure or kill flowers or immature fruit. This factsheet will briefly outline critical temperatures at different stages of flower development, and describe how a gardener might protect against late season frosts.
Find out which fruit cultivars are recommended for Northern Wisconsin. This publication describes flavor, ripening date, winter hardiness, and more. It includes tree fruits (apples, pears, crabapples), stone fruits (apricots, tart cherries, plums), and small fruits (strawberries, raspberries, currants, elderberries, gooseberries, juneberries or serviceberries, grapes, blueberries, lingonberries).
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Isael Rubio*, UW-Madison Plant Pathology Revised: 4/1/2014 Item number: XHT1227 What is angular leaf spot? Angular leaf spot is a severe bacterial disease that can adversely affect strawberries wherever they are grown, potentially causing yield losses of up to 75%. The disease appears to have originated in the U.S and was first described in Minnesota […]
Christelle Guédot, UW-Madison Entomology and Bryan Jensen, UW IPM Program Revised: 3/26/2014 Item number: XHT1236 Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halymorpha halys, is an exotic, invasive insect native to Asia, including China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. BMSB was first confirmed in the United States in 2001 although an unconfirmed sighting was reported in Pennsylvania in […]
Chen Zhang*, UW-Madison Plant Pathology Revised: 3/5/2014 Item number: XHT1232 What is raspberry anthracnose? Anthracnose is a common disease that causes significant reductions of yield and fruit quality on raspberries in the United States. Black and purple raspberries (oftentimes misidentified as blackberries) are particularly susceptible to anthracnose, while red raspberries are less susceptible to the […]
Ashley Ellinghuysen, UW-Madison Plant Pathology Revised: 6/22/2013 Item number: XHT1220 What is brown rot? Brown rot is a destructive fungal disease of trees and shrubs in the genus Prunus which includes peaches, plum, cherries, apricots and nectarines. Brown rot is particularly a problem on the fruits of susceptible plants, with the potential to cause losses […]
When it comes to digging in the garden or pruning trees and shrubs, having high quality tools that are cleaned, lubricated, sharpened and otherwise properly maintained, makes any outdoor job simpler and more efficient. Learn how to maintain your garden tools in this useful factsheet.
K.A. Delahaut Revised: 3/26/2012 Item number: A3751-E Spotted and striped cucumber beetles damage vine crops like cucumbers, squash, watermelons, muskmelons, and pumpkins. This fact sheet details the insect’s life cycle, the destruction it causes, and various means of effective control (2 pages). Download Article
Daniel L. Mahr, Paul Whitaker, Nino Ridgway Revised: 10/31/2011 Item number: A3842 This colorful, richly illustrated booklet offers an introduction to beneficial natural enemies and their use in pest management (116 pages). Download Article
Boost your garden’s production with mulches. This publication shows when to use organic mulches, like bark or leaves, and synthetic mulches, like plastic sheets, and teaches how to apply them.
Authors: Ann Joy and Brian Hudelson, UW-Madison Plant Pathology Last Revised: 01/03/2019 X-number: XHT1042 What is Southern blight? Southern blight is a lethal fungal disease that is most common in the tropics and subtropics. This disease causes damage in the southern U.S. and can even cause problems in temperate locations like Wisconsin during periods of warm, moist […]
Authors: PJ Liesch, Annie Deutsch, and Christelle Guédot, UW-Madison Division of Extension Last Revised: 11/13/2019 X-number: XHT1098 Managing fruit crop insect pests can be very challenging. Pest control involving multiple approaches (referred to as “integrated pest management”) is generally the most effective and safest strategy. Before taking any management action, make sure to correctly identify any insect pest. […]
Brian Hudelson, UW-Madison Plant Pathology and Laura Jull, UW-Madison Horticulture Revised: 5/20/2011 Item number: XHT1072 What is root rot? Root rot is a general term that describes any disease where the pathogen (causal organism) attacks and leads to the deterioration of a plant’s root system. Most plants are susceptible to root rots, including both woody […]
Patricia McManus, UW-Madison Department of Plant Pathology Revised: 5/20/2011 Item number: XHT1028 What is plum pox? Plum pox, also known as “sharka,” is a virus disease that affects stone fruits including plums, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and ornamental Prunus species. Cherries are resistant to most strains of plum pox, or at least do not show symptoms. […]
